Help me choose a nail gun for my project

[Louis Brandt]

Hello,

I need a nail gun. I also need a compressor, but that’s not what I want help with at this time.

At this time, all that I need a nail gun for is to install wainscoting, cap molding and base molding, all over sheetrock.

I’ve been looking at the Porter-Cable nail gun and compressor kits, and this is where my dilemma comes in.

Porter-Cable has two kits that I’m looking at. One comes with a compressor, a 16 gauge finish nailer, and an 18 gauge brad nailer, but the brad nailer that comes with it can shoot brads only up to 1 3/8 inches.

The other kit has only a compressor and a 16 gauge finish nailer (no brad nailer).

So, here’s my multi-part question:

First, would a 1 3/8 brad be enough to install wainscoting, cap molding on top and base molding at the bottom?

Second, if that’s not long enough, could I do it with a brad nailer that would shoot a longer brad?

If you say that a 1 3/8 inch brad wouldn't work, but that a longer brad would work, then I'll buy just a compressor by itself (no kit), and I'll by a separate longer capacity brad nailer and no finish nailer.

Finally, if you say that a brad nailer just isn’t the way to install wainscoting, cap molding and base molding, then I’ll get the kit that has just the compressor and finish nailer and no brad nailer.

Thanks,

Louis

[bill mullin]

Hi Louis,
New member here, but 25 yr trim carpenter.
1 3/8 brads really aren't enough for baseboard over drywall. Most base is at least 1/2 inch thick, some up to 3/4, and with 1/2 inch rock, you have only 1/4 to 3/8 penetration(actually, a little more with the countersunk nail-head).
If the wainscoting is 1/4 inch ply, I use 1 1/2 inch brads and glue.
The 1 3/8 brads would be fine for the cap, (wood to wood), though.
The combo with the finish nailer and the brad nailer is what I would buy. Hope this helps,

Bill

[Jeremy Brant]

I just redid all the molding in my house about a year ago. I bought the 3 nailer kit from PC, but I didn't use a single brad. What you should be using is either a 15 or 16 ga finish nailer. I used 2" nails for everything except attaching door molding to the door frame itself, where I used 1 1/2" nails. This might seem obvious, but nails won't hold anything to sheetrock alone...you do have to hit your wall studs to hold it. I'd go ahead and buy at least the 2 nailer kit, if not the 3 piece kit (brad, finish, and crown stapler). You will find a use for all of them at some point, and you'll ask yourself why you didn't buy air tools sooner.

All of my molding was paint grade, so I primed and painted all of it before installing. Once installed I filled the holes, caulked the edges, and put a final coat of paint on. On the flooring that I installed shoe molding, that was painted, installed, nails filled, and just touched up over the filler. If you get a filler that matches your paint you don't even need to touch up with paint.

[Michael Pyron]

the pin nailer (18 gauge) should be able to shoot 2" fasteners to be really usable...you don't have to shoot into studs (though that is advised where they are wood) as you can use construction adhesive and cross nail the wood to the sheet rock (cross nailing is where you shoot 2 fasteners through the same hole at 45° to the wall and 90°to each other...this is the method used on commercial jobsites where the studs are metal and since the material is many times pre-finished stained hardwoods an 18 gauge fastener is rather preferred)....actually the best thing to use for the baseboard is a 1/8" crown stapler as 1: they hold into the wood better and 2: they very rarely will penetrate into a copper pipe, rather they will bend as opposed to puncturing....staples are also the preferred method of attaching casing to door jambs...

in the big picture, given your stated choices, I would also suggest going for the 2 gun combo kit as nails will work for the baseboard (though as noted I advise using 1½" staples for ½" thick material and ½" sheetrock)

just the mutterings of a 46 year old tradesman of 24 years...

[Casey Gooding]

I like the Bostitch. It's inexpensive, lightweight, oil-free and can shoot up to 2" brads. They have plenty of holding power for these projects.
I find that 15 or 16 gauge nailers leave holes that are too large for my taste.